Both neuroscientists and historians suggest spring cleaning can improve your mental health and give you more focus and energy for your business and your life.
Read the article and pick the right answer a)-d) to the questions below:
1. According to the text, what is a key psychological benefit of spring cleaning?
a) Boosting mental health and mood
b) Improving physical fitness
c) Reducing financial stress
d) Increasing social interactions
2. How do scientists at Princeton University Neuroscience Institute describe the impact of clutter on the brain?
a) Clutter has no significant effect on cognitive resources
b) Disorganisation drains cognitive resources and reduces focus
c) Messy environments improve mental creativity
d) Clutter only affects people with specific personality types
3. What biological changes occur during winter that might affect people’s motivation to clean?
a) Increased serotonin levels
b) Lower cortisol production
c) Reduced melatonin levels
d) Lower serotonin, higher melatonin, and reduced cortisol
4. What surprising finding did the study about mindful dish washing reveal?
a) Increased nervousness by 27 percent
b) Reduced inspiration by 25 percent
c) Reduced nervousness by 27 percent
d) Increased stress levels
5. How do untidy spaces potentially impact personal behaviour?
a) They have no psychological effect
b) They encourage healthy eating habits
c) They can lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms
d) They improve work productivity
6. What is the primary suggestion for making spring cleaning beneficial?
a) Cleaning with an intentional, mindful approach
b) Cleaning as quickly as possible
c) Using expensive cleaning products
d) Cleaning only specific areas of the home
Key: 1a; 2b; 3d; 4c; 5c; 6a
Glossary
- urge – a strong wish, especially one that is difficult or impossible to control
- to tackle (a difficult problem or task) – to deal with it in a very determined or efficient way
- to leaven – to add a substance to bread or another food made with flour to make it increase in size when it is cooked
- snoozy – drowsy, sleepy
- to toss – to throw sth lightly, often in a rather careless way
- reup – to replenish or refill (a supply)
- heir /eər/- any person or thing that carries on some tradition, circumstance, etc, from a forerunner
Practice makes perfect
Complete the gaps in the article extract with the words in bold below:
reflect soak bursting cycle
vibrant show stems absorb
Every year trees put on a 1. ……… in the spring by 2. ………. with bright foliage that seems to celebrate the end of winter. What makes these early leaves so 3. …………? The color of a leaf is determined by which wavelengths its cells absorb and which they 4. ………… back at us. The chloroplasts inside these cells, which turn sunlight into energy through the process of photosynthesis, tend to 5. ……… more blue and red wavelengths and less green light. Changes to the number and maturity of chloroplasts within a leaf, as well as to leaves’ structures, cause the leaves to appear lighter in the spring and darker later on. “The time it takes to go through this maturity 6. ……….. is a couple of weeks at the start of the summer,” says Susan Ustin, an ecologist at the University of California, Davis.
The brightness of new leaves 7. ……… from their light-absorbing chloroplasts, which are fewer and absorb less light in spring. Over time chloroplasts multiply and 8. ……… up more light, causing leaves to appear darker. Leaves’ outer layers, called their cuticles, also become thicker, as do their cell walls, contributing to the darkening effect.
In order to check your answers/read the whole article, go to: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-science-of-springs-green-show/
Key: 1. show; 2. bursting; 3. vibrant; 4. reflect; 5. absorb; 6. cycle; 7. stems; 8. soak
Discuss:
- Do you enjoy spring cleaning or do you find it a chore?
- What is the most difficult thing to clean during spring cleaning?
- What are some spring cleaning hacks you would recommend?
- What do you enjoy most about spring?
- Do you think spring weather has an impact on your mood or behavior?
- Do you have any allergies or health issues that are affected by spring weather?
- How do you transition your winter wardrobe into spring?
Watch and revise!
Spring Cleaning
Boost Your Mood and Energy
https://www.cloud.worldwideschool.pl/index.php/s/nZ9CeMYEjYxzwBy
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